NORTHERN IRELAND

National Crime Agency

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what extra resources and funding her Department has allocated to the Northern Ireland Executive to take account of those aspects of the National Crime Agency's work which it does not carry out in Northern Ireland.

Theresa Villiers: No additional resources have been allocated to the Northern Ireland Executive to take account of differences in the National Crime Agency’s powers in Northern Ireland as compared to the rest of the UK.
	Although the focus of the National Crime Agency's work is different, the resources allocated by the National Crime Agency to Northern Ireland are the same as those allocated by the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much additional funding has been allocated for policing in Northern Ireland over and above the block grant in each year since 2007.

Theresa Villiers: Between 2007 and 2010 policing in Northern Ireland was not funded through the block grant. Funding for the PSNI only became part of the block grant following devolution of policing and justice functions to the Northern Ireland Executive in April 2010. The figures for additional funding provided by the UK Government for policing in Northern Ireland to tackle the severe threat for terrorism since 2010 are as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2010-11 50.3 
			 2011-15 199.5 
			 2015-16 31 
		
	
	As the right hon. Gentleman is aware, this additional funding has been committed despite this being a time of unprecedented pressures on the public finances as a result of the fiscal position inherited by the Government in 2010.

Public Expenditure

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of the block grant allocated to Northern Ireland is related to (a) national security and (b) border security and immigration controls.

Theresa Villiers: Decisions about, and information on, the allocation of resources from within Northern Ireland's block grant are a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.

Terrorism

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations she has received from the Chief Constable or the Northern Ireland Policing Board about resources for the Police Service of Northern Ireland following recent terrorist attacks in Belfast.

Theresa Villiers: I have regular dialogue with both the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Minister of Justice in the Northern Ireland Executive on a range of policing and justice related issues, including police resources. My most recent conversation on police resourcing with the Chief Constable took place yesterday morning.
	The issue of police resources is primarily a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. However, in recognition of the security situation in Northern Ireland, the UK Government is providing the PSNI with additional funding totalling £199.5 million over four years (2011-15) to enhance the PSNI's ability to proactively tackle the terrorist threat. The PSNI will receive a further £31million in 2015-16 from the Government to help protect the people of Northern Ireland from terrorist activity, while ensuring the continuation of day to day policing responsibilities.

SCOTLAND

Immigration

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Government plan to produce a report on asylum and immigration as part of their Scotland Analysis Programme.

David Mundell: The Scotland analysis programme has published eight papers to date examining how Scotland contributes to, and benefits from, being part of the UK.
	The programme will continue to look in detail at the main issues in the Scottish independence debate.

PRIME MINISTER

European Council

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his written statement of 6 January 2013, Official Report, column 7WS, on European Council, for what reason he did not make an oral statement to the House on the European Council on that day.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Ms Stuart) by the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington) on 7 January 2014, Official Report, columns 174-175.

JUSTICE

Human Trafficking

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many victims of trafficking for labour exploitation received civil or criminal compensation in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Damian Green: Victims of trafficking for labour exploitation can apply for compensation from a number of different sources and through different legal proceedings. The Government do not currently compile statistics in relation to these awards.

Human Trafficking

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) nationality and (b) gender was of each suspected victim of trafficking referred to the Trafficking Victim Support Scheme operated by the Salvation Army in November 2013; in which (i) region, (ii) country and (iii) parliamentary constituency each of the suspected victims were found; and which agency referred each person to the scheme.

Damian Green: In November 2013 there were 92 referrals to the Government-funded support service for adult victims of human trafficking in England and Wales administered by the Salvation Army. In the interests of victim safety only the region in which the victim was encountered is provided, and not the county or parliamentary constituency. Details are provided as follows.
	
		
			 Nationality Gender Region Agency type 
			 Albanian Female South Local Authority 
			 Albanian Female South East Home Office 
			 Albanian Female South Legal Representative 
			 Albanian Female North West Home Office 
			 Albanian Female Yorkshire NGO 
			 Albanian Female West Midlands NGO 
			 Albanian Female South NGO 
			 Albanian Female South West Home Office 
			 Albanian Female West Midlands Home Office 
			 Albanian Female South West Home Office 
			 Albanian Female Midlands Home Office 
			 Albanian Female North West Home Office 
			 Albanian Female South East NGO 
			 Albanian Female South East Home Office 
			 Albanian Female South Home Office 
			 Albanian Female East Midlands Home Office 
			 Albanian Female Not Known NGO 
			 British Female West Midlands Police 
			 Chinese Male Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Chinese Male Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Chinese Male South Home Office 
			 Chinese Female South East Police 
			 Chinese Male South East Police 
			 Chinese Male South East Police 
			 Czech Male Yorkshire Police 
			 Czech Female East Midlands Police 
			 Eritrean Female South Home Office 
			 Eritrean Female Wales Home Office 
			 Eritrean Female South Other 
			 Gambian Female South East Home Office 
			 Ghanaian Male South Police 
			 Ghanaian Female South East Self Referral 
		
	
	
		
			 Ghanaian Female South East Legal Representative 
			 Guinean Female Wales Home Office 
			 Hungarian Female South East Police 
			 Hungarian Male East Midlands Police 
			 Hungarian Female North East Police 
			 Hungarian Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Hungarian Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Hungarian Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Italian Male South West NGO 
			 Italian Male South West NGO 
			 Ivorian Female East Midlands Home Office 
			 Latvian Female South East Self Referral 
			 Latvian Male East Police 
			 Latvian Male East Police 
			 Latvian Male East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South West Police 
			 Lithuanian Male East Police 
			 Lithuanian Female East Police 
			 Lithuanian Female Wales Police 
			 Lithuanian Female North West NGO 
			 Lithuanian Male North West NGO 
			 Nepali Male South Home Office 
			 Nigerian Female North West Home Office 
			 Nigerian Female South Legal Representative 
			 Polish Female South West NGO 
			 Polish Male South NGO 
			 Polish Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Polish Female Wales Other 
			 Polish Male South East NGO 
			 Polish Female South East Police 
			 Romanian Female Yorkshire Police 
			 Romanian Female Yorkshire Police 
			 Romanian Female South East Self Referral 
			 Romanian Female Not Known Self Referral 
			 Romanian Male Yorkshire Self Referral 
			 Romanian Female North West Police 
			 Sierra Leonean Female South Home Office 
			 Slovakian Female North West Local Authority 
			 Slovakian Female North West Local Authority 
			 Slovakian Male Yorkshire Self Referral 
			 Slovakian Female Yorkshire Self Referral 
			 Slovakian Male South Police 
			 Slovakian Male South Police 
			 Slovakian Female South Police 
			 Sudanese Female Yorkshire NGO 
			 Thai Female West Home Office

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Voting: Child Care

David Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will undertake a consultation on measures to enable hon. Members carrying babies to be able to do so in the division lobbies.

John Thurso: This is not directly a matter for the Commission. Any hon. Member experiencing practical difficulties in voting in person should speak to their Whips in the first instance.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Poverty

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the trends in the number of baby banks; what estimate he has made of the number of baby banks in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the number of families accessing baby banks.

Esther McVey: Baby banks are not related to the work of the Department for Work and Pensions.
	The Government are committed to ending child poverty in the UK. Evidence is clear that work remains the best route out of poverty and we are helping more people back into work through our welfare reform programme. We also provide support to low income families to help with the cost of living, including new born babies. For example, we are investing £105 million per year in Healthy Start Vouchers for low income families with young children to help with essential foods and vitamins. In addition the Department for Education has been allocated funding of over £1 billion (£449 million in 2014-15 and £634 million in 2015-16) to fund universal free school meals for infant pupils. Further, some low-income mothers will also be eligible for the £500 maternity grant benefit, which directly helps with the costs of new born children.
	We have not made any assessment of the use of baby banks nor do we collect any statistics.

Cold Weather Payments

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on cold weather payments in each year since 2008.

Steve Webb: Table 1 gives the expenditure on cold weather payments in Great Britain in each year between 2008 and 2013. The cold weather payment season runs from November to March each year. Consequently, the calendar year figures given in Table 1 will include expenditure from two separate cold weather payment seasons.
	Expenditure figures for the 2011-12 cold weather payment season onwards are estimated based on the number of eligible recipients on 31 October at the start of each relevant season. Figures prior to this are actual expenditure derived from scans of the payment systems. Only the estimated figures are available from November 2011 onwards.
	Since November 2008, a cold weather payment of £25 is made when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be 0°C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to an eligible recipient's postcode. Prior to November 2008, the amount per cold weather payment was £8.50.
	
		
			 Table 1: Annual expenditure on Cold Weather Payments between 2008 and 2013 
			  Actual/Estimated Expenditure (£) 
			 2008 Actual 12,346,800 
			 2009 Actual 253,830,700 
			 2010 Actual 641,584,000 
			 2011 Estimated 30,449,500 
		
	
	
		
			 2012 Estimated 131,090,000 
			 2013 Estimated 144,042,500 
			 Notes: 1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National statistics. 2. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.

Disclosure of Information

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether Ministers in his Department have discussed or received recommendations from other governmental agencies improving his Department's response to subject access requests;
	(2)  how many officials in his Department were (a) responsible for and (b) available to complete subject access requests (i) nationally and (ii) in each region in 2013;
	(3)  what procedures and contingencies his Department has put in place to ensure that responses to subject access requests are completed within the 40 day deadline stipulated by the Data Protection Act 1998.

Michael Penning: DWP Ministers have not discussed or received recommendations from other governmental agencies improving DWP's response to subject access requests. DWP compliance with the Data Protection Act is regularly reviewed by the Information Commissioner's Office.
	DWP takes its data protection responsibilities seriously and has a network of 86 Data Protection Officers (DPOs) supported by 145 Deputy Data Protection Officers (DDPOs) who are available to cover for periods of absence. They are responsible for dealing with subject access requests for personal information held by DWP, are all suitably trained and work to the statutory deadline. Data Protection Officers make themselves visible to other staff so they know who to pass requests to. All DWP staff are provided with data protection awareness training emphasising the timescales in which to handle subject access requests.

Employment and Support Allowance

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answers of 19 December 2013, Official Report, column 758W, on jobseeker's allowance: Yorkshire and the Humber and 19 December 2013, Official Report, column 756W, on employment and support allowance: Yorkshire and the Humber, 
	(1)  how many people receiving employment and support allowance were moved from the support group to the work-related group; of those how many appealed that decision and of those appealing how many were (a) moved back to the support group as a consequence of the appeal, (b) not moved back to the support group as a consequence of the appeal and (c) still awaiting their appeal decision in October 2012 and each month since then;
	(2)  how many people receiving employment and support allowance were moved from the support group to the work-related group; of those how many sought a review of that decision and of those seeking a review how many were (a) moved back to the support group as a consequence of the review, (b) not moved back to the support group as a consequence of the review and (c) still awaiting the decision on their request for review in each month since October 2012;
	(3)  how many people receiving employment and support allowance were moved (a) from the support group to the work-related group and (b) from the work-related group to the support group in each month since October 2012.

Esther McVey: The information requested to answer the above three questions is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit: Barrow in Furness

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals in Barrow and Furness constituency are in receipt of housing benefit; and how many such people are (a) under 25 and (b) under 25 and with a dependent child.

Steve Webb: The information requested regarding the number of housing benefit recipients in Barrow and Furness constituency can be found at:
	https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
	Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
	https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm

Housing Benefit: Liverpool

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals in Liverpool West Derby constituency are in receipt of housing benefit; and how many such people are (a) under 25 years old and (b) under 25 years old and with a dependent child.

Steve Webb: The information requested regarding the number of Housing Benefit recipients in Liverpool West Derby constituency can be found at:
	https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
	Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
	https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm

Jobseeker's Allowance

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether a claimant of jobseeker's allowance who is accepted onto a course of higher education beginning in January is eligible to claim benefit until that course begins.

Esther McVey: To be entitled to jobseeker's allowance, a person must satisfy the relevant conditions for benefit. These include being available for and actively seeking employment.
	A person who has been accepted onto a course of higher education may still be entitled to jobseeker's allowance, provided that they can satisfy these conditions, during the period before they begin their course.
	Generally speaking, when a higher education course begins, a person would no longer be entitled to jobseeker's allowance and would need to rely on the education maintenance system for financial support.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate (a) the proportion of people who have received jobseeker's allowance sanctions who are disabled and (b) the proportion of people of working age who have a disability in the UK.

Esther McVey: In answer to part (a) the latest figures for those who have received jobseeker's allowance sanctions and are disabled, in Great Britain, can be found in table 1.7a of the publication at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobseekers-allowance-and-employment-and-support-allowance-sanctions-decisions-made-to-june-2013
	The numbers from this published information can be used to calculate the proportions requested.
	In answer to part (b) the following table shows the proportion of working age people in the UK who have a disability:
	
		
			 People aged 16 to 64 by disability status United Kingdom, January to December 2012 
			  Level (thousand) Percentage 
			 Those with a disability1 8,338 20.7 
			 Not long-term disabled 31,700 78.9 
			 Did not answer 149 0.4 
			 All aged 16-64 40,187 100.0 
			 1 People, aged 16-64, who have either work-limiting disabilities only, disabilities that limit their day-to-day activities only, or both kind of disabilities. Source: Annual Population Survey.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what measures are in place to record whether people terminating their jobseeker's allowance claims enter employment;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of people who terminated their jobseeker's allowance claims that (a) entered employment and (b) continued to be unemployed in each of the last 12 months.

Esther McVey: Jobseeker's allowance claimants are encouraged to tell the Department when they want to terminate their claim, and the reason for doing so, through the Department's claim closure telephony service. Alternatively, they can notify the Department by post or in person at a Jobcentre Plus office. It is not mandatory for a jobseeker's allowance claimant to give the reason for terminating their claim but when they do so this is recorded on the Department's computer systems.
	The information is not complete enough to produce regular statistics as a significant minority of claimants do not provide a reason for ending their claim. A destinations survey in 2011 found that 68% of those leaving JSA moved into work. People leaving for other destinations do not necessarily remain unemployed, as the figures will include those starting an education or training course and people who have retired or left the labour force for other reasons.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answers of 19 December 2013, Official Report, column 758W, on jobseeker's allowance: Yorkshire and the Humber and 19 December 2013, Official Report, column 756W, on employment and support allowance: Yorkshire and the Humber, how many people receiving jobseeker's allowance (JSA) had their JSA withdrawn as a result of their alleged failure to comply with conditions laid down by his Department in October 2012 and each month since then.

Esther McVey: The information requested, by Jobcentre Plus Office and District Group which includes North Yorkshire and the Humber can be found on table 1.2 of the publication at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/jobseekers-allowance-sanctions
	Guidance for users is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/203439/tab-tool-guidance.pdf

Jobseeker's Allowance: Young People

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people who have been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance for over a year have a degree.

Esther McVey: The information is not readily available and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.

Pension Credit: Hyndburn

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been in receipt of pension credits in Hyndburn constituency in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: Statistics on pension credit are available from 100% data and are published on the Department's website at:
	http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/pc/tabtool_pc.html
	Guidance for users is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance

Personal Independence Payment

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will require Capita to provide a freephone or 03 number for its personal independence payment claimant helpline.

Michael Penning: The Capita personal independence payment claimant helpline telephone number, referred to in the answer I gave to the hon. Member on 17 December 2013, Official Report, column 583-84W, is a freephone number for landline users.

Personal Independence Payment: Wales

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many claims for personal independence payments have been (a) begun and (b) concluded in (i) Wales and (ii) Wrexham since June 2013;
	(2)  what the current average waiting time in Wales from a consultation being carried out by an independent health professional in relation to a personal independence claim to an assessment being made in respect of that claim is;
	(3)  what the current average waiting time in Wales from commencement of a personal independence claim to a consultation being carried out by an independent health professional in relation to that claim is.

Michael Penning: Although limited data have started to feed through from the PIP Computer System, we need to wait until the data have been quality assured and meaningful figures for publication can be developed. The Department is working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we are able to publish statistics that meet high quality standards at the earliest opportunity. We intend to publish official statistics on new claims to PIP for the first time in spring 2014 aligned to the DLA National Statistics release.

Social Security Benefits

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to ask the Child Poverty Action Group for its views when policies are being changed on (a) expenditure and (b) those of working age claiming benefits.

Esther McVey: Consultation is an important part of the policy making process and we will continue to seek the views of the public and interested groups when developing policies in the future.

Social Security Benefits

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answers of 19 December 2013, Official Report, column 758W, on jobseeker's allowance: Yorkshire and the Humber and 19 December 2013, Official Report, column 756W, on employment and support allowance: Yorkshire and the Humber, how many people were receiving (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) employment and support allowance support group and (c) employment and support allowance work-related group in (i) October 2012 and (ii) each month since then.

Esther McVey: Monthly statistics on the number of jobseeker's allowance claimants and quarterly statistics on employment and support allowance claimants can be found at:
	https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp
	Guidance for users can be found at:
	https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp
	Employment and support allowance case load statistics are not available monthly.

Standard of Living

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2013, Official Report, columns 48-49W, on standard of living, which reports and policy evaluations on the subjective well-being of jobseekers and employment interventions his Department has published in the last 12 months; and if he will publish a web-link to each such report and evaluation.

Esther McVey: The Department has within the last 12 months published a number of reports in the area of health work and well-being, listed below:
	Evaluation of employment advisers in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (DWP Research Report826)
	(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-employment-advisers-in-the-improving-access-to-psychological-therapies-programme-rr826)
	Wellbeing and civil society: Estimating the value of volunteering using subjective wellbeing data (DWP Working Paper 112)
	(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wellbeing-and-civil-society-estimating-the-value-of-volunteering-using-subjective-wellbeing-data-wp112)
	General Practitioners' attitudes towards patients' health and work, 2010 to 2012 (DWP Research Report 835)
	(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/general-practitioners-attitudes-towards-patients-health-and-work-2010-to-2012-rr-835)
	An evaluation of the Statement of Fitness for Work (fit note): Survey of employees (DWP Research Report 840)
	(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/an-evaluation-of-the-statement-of-fitness-for-work-fit-note-survey-of-employees-rr-840)
	Evaluation of the Statement of Fitness for Work (fit note): quantitative survey of fit notes (DWP Research Report 841)
	(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-statement-of-fitness-for-work-fit-note-quantitative-survey-of-fit-notes-rr-841).
	The work of the Department in this area has been summarised by a Cabinet Office publication entitled “Wellbeing Policy and Analysis: An Update of wellbeing across Whitehall—June 2013”.
	(https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224910/Wellbeing_Policy_and_Analysis_ FINAL.PDF)
	In addition, the Department has published two reports which focus specifically on the subjective well-being of jobseekers, which were published more than one year ago. These are:
	Evaluation of Support for the Very Long-Term Unemployed Trailblazer (RR824)
	(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-support-for-the-very-long-term-unemployed-trailblazer-rr824)
	Mental health in context: the national study of work-search and wellbeing (DWP Research Report 810)
	(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-in-context-the-national-study-of-work-search-and-wellbeing-rr810)

Trussell Trust

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  for what reasons he has declined recent requests to meet representatives of the Trussell Trust;
	(2)  what plans he has to meet representatives of the Trussell Trust; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: As food banks are not a Government responsibility, no regular departmental discussions have taken place. Ministers have met with Trussell Trust representatives in their role as constituency MPs.

Work Capability Assessment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2013, Official Report, columns 50-2W, on work capability assessment: Wales, what the (a) number and (b) proportion has been of people who underwent work capability assessments and had a mental health condition in each region and constituent part of the UK to date.

Michael Penning: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	All new claims to employment and support allowance (ESA) and for claimants with mental and behavioural disorders recorded as the main disabling condition that underwent work capability assessments October 2008 to February 2013.
	
		
			 Region Total Total with mental and behavioural disorders as the recorded condition Proportion with mental and behavioural disorders as the condition (percentage) 
			 Great Britain 3,042,700 1,134,300 37 
			     
			 England 2,482,400 906,900 37 
			 East Midlands 209,400 73,700 35 
			 East of England 230,100 84,200 37 
			 London 345,800 122,900 36 
			 North East 180,600 67,100 37 
			 North West 436,600 170,600 39 
			 South East 295,400 109,000 37 
			 South West 218,800 81,200 37 
			 West Midlands 278,300 96,900 35 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 287,400 101,500 35 
			 Scotland 347,000 148,200 43 
			 Wales 210,400 78,300 37 
			 Unknown 2,800 800 29 
			 Notes: 1. There is a reporting lag of approximately eight months at the issuing date of this statistical output owing to the time needed to process data and time allowed to enable each cohort's assessment phase to elapse. 2. Case load figures rounded to nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to the rounding method used. Proportions are rounded to the nearest whole number. 3. Figures include those cases where the functional assessment has not been completed. 4. Condition Groups are based on the International Classification of Diseases (2010). Source: Department for Work and Pensions benefit administration dataset 
		
	
	Information for Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Department for Social Development. Northern Ireland statistics can be found at:
	http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/stats_and_research/benefit_ publications.htm

EDUCATION

Children: Day Care

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of (a) childminders, (b) school nurseries and (c) private and voluntary nursery providers offering free nursery provision for (i) two year-olds and (ii) three and four year-olds.

Elizabeth Truss: Information on the number of two-year-olds accessing funded early education provision by provider type will first be collected in January 2014 and published in summer 2014.
	The number of providers delivering funded early education to three- and four-year-olds are given in the table:
	
		
			 Type of provider Number of providers 
			 Child minding networks1 320 
			 Maintained schools2 16,520 
			 Private and voluntary providers3 19,700 
			 Independent schools 890 
			 All providers 37,430 
			 1 It is not possible to distinguish between child minding networks and individual child minders in the data. A figure for the number of child minding networks has therefore been provided. 2 Includes maintained nursery schools, state-funded primary schools, state-funded secondary schools and special schools. 3 Includes private day nurseries, playgroups or pre-schools, nurseries, family combined integrated centres, Sure Start children centres (main and linked), local authority day nurseries and other types of private and voluntary providers. Source: Early Years Census, School Census, and School Level Annual School Census 
		
	
	A full breakdown of types of providers delivering funded early education to three- and four-year-olds can be found in the ‘Provision for children under 5 years of age in England: January 2013' Statistical First Release available on GOV.UK1.
	1https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/provision-for-children-under-5-years-of-age-in-england-january-2013

Free Schools: Autism

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many free schools for autistic children have been set up in the UK; and how many such applications are currently being considered by his Department.

Edward Timpson: The free schools programme has made it easier than ever before for parents, charities and other organisations to set up new schools, including special schools for autistic children.
	There are currently three open special free schools and three special free schools in the pipeline that cater specifically for autistic children.
	There are also three open special schools and three special free schools in the pipeline that cater in some way for autistic children.
	These schools are being set up by groups such as the National Autistic Society (NAS). NAS has one open free school in Reading and two in the pipeline, which will be located in Cheshire and Lambeth.
	We are currently assessing the most recent round of free school applications. Successful applicants will be announced shortly.

Further Education: Finance

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to publish an impact assessment on recent changes to further education support for 18-year-olds.

Matthew Hancock: We will publish an impact assessment shortly.

High Tunstall College of Science

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if his Department will provide funding to High Tunstall College of Science in Hartlepool constituency to replace the roof and building damaged in extreme weather in December 2013; and if he will make a statement.

David Laws: The cost of the work to repair the roof at High Tunstall College of Science will be met from Hartlepool borough council's insurance cover.
	The local authority has also confirmed that it is carrying out work to repair the covering of another roof at the school that was found to be in a similar condition to the roof covering that was dislodged in the recent high winds using the contingency fund, which it sets aside for such matters.

Kings Science Academy

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish the report Validation of Kings Science Academy Financial Management and Governance Self-Assessment covering the period 12 September 2011 to 21 October 2011.

Edward Timpson: The report of the Education Funding Agency's validation of Kings Science Academy's Financial Management and Governance Self-Assessment (FMGS), covering the period September 2011 to December 2012, was published on the Department's website on 29 November 2013. This can be found at:
	http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/r/kings_science_academy_final_report.pdf
	A copy has been placed in the House Library.

Teachers: Training

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the potential effect of more schools providing school-centred initial teacher training on the role of universities in the provision of initial teacher training.

David Laws: Department officials and Ministers are working closely with universities and representative bodies, for example the Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers and Million Plus, to discuss the impact of initial teacher training (ITT) reforms.
	The proportion of ITT places allocated to new school-centred initial teacher training providers since March 2012 represents a very small percentage of the total provision: 1% of all places for 2014/15.

Teachers: Training

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what communications his Department has issued to (a) universities and (b) other providers in respect of the expansion of school-centred initial teacher training.

David Laws: The Department for Education informed schools how they could become a school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) provider in the School Direct bulletin in November 2013. This bulletin is copied to universities and other providers.
	Officials also regularly attend meetings and liaise with organisations representing universities and other providers including UCET and the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers where operational initial teacher training policy, including the expansion of SCITT, is discussed.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces Covenant

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2013, Official Report, columns 474-5W, on armed forces covenant, what funding has been allocated to military charities covering Devon and Cornwall.

Anna Soubry: The major military charities have received LIBOR awards for some 40 projects with UK wide benefit. The awards to these 40 projects alone have totalled some £16.16 million. Examples include £2 million for Combat Stress Community Outreach Teams, £2.7 million for the Help for Heroes ‘Hidden Wounds' programme, £230,000 for Reading Force, and £325,000 to the RAF Benevolent Fund for Airplay Play parks.
	With regard to charities covering Devon and Cornwall specifically, the LIBOR awards allocated are set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Organisation The Project County LIBOR award (£) 
			 CHICKS To provide 32 children, aged between eight and 15, who are from families who have been affected by service related injury or bereavement, with the chance to benefit from a free week of respite at one of their retreats in Devon and Cornwall. Devon/Cornwall 23,520 
			 RMB Chivenor Improvements to Service Families Accommodation Play Areas at Royal Marines Barracks Chivenor. Devon 18,294 
			 Adjutant General's Corps Regimental Association Replacement Welfare Caravan to offer affordable holidays to members of the Corps. Devon 28,774 
			 The China Fleet Trust This project enables the refurbishment of five out of 40 apartments to meet the needs of disabled Service and ex Service personnel and their families. Devon 50,000

Armed Forces: Pensions

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will amend the 1975 Armed Forces Pension Scheme so that no surviving spouse loses their entitlement if they re-marry or cohabit with a new partner.

Anna Soubry: There are no plans to amend the 1975 Armed Forces Pension Scheme legislation to allow surviving spouses who remarry or cohabit to keep their pension.

Defence Support Group

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the privatisation of the Defence Support Group on (a) the provision of military vehicle maintenance investigations and (b) road safety.

Andrew Murrison: The responsibility for ensuring the safety of vehicles operated by the Army ultimately rests with the Ministry of Defence. Vehicle inspections are an essential aspect of the overall assurance regime and shall remain so. Any diminution in safety standards would be inconsistent with the objectives of the sale and totally unacceptable.

European Fighter Aircraft

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the breakdown in negotiations between BAE Systems and the United Arab Emirates regarding the purchase of Typhoon fighter jets.

Philip Dunne: BAE Systems, with Government support, has worked very hard over the past 14 months to secure a deal that would have seen the United Arab Emirates (UAE) become the eighth nation to select Typhoon for their air force. The Government therefore share the Company's disappointment that, for commercial reasons, the Emiratis have decided not to pursue this option any further at this time.
	Nevertheless, both the UK Government and BAE Systems remain confident that, given the extent of Typhoon's current and planned future capabilities, it represents the best value-for-money advanced multi-role combat aircraft available on the export market today. We continue to support other Typhoon export campaigns in the Gulf region and beyond.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Green Deal Scheme

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of people who have had Green Deal assessments but chosen not to install Green Deal measures have made that choice for each known reason.

Gregory Barker: DECC has carried out research on Green Deal assessments that has gathered evidence on barriers to installation. Households that have had an assessment were asked if they plan to install and if not, why not. The latest research found that 81% of households said they had installed, were in the process of installing or intend to install at least one recommended measure. Of the 5% of households that said they will probably or definitely not install a measure, cost of improvements (37%), hassle/disruption of making improvements (14%), would not save enough money to make worthwhile (12%) and structural considerations (12%) were the most prominent answers.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 2 December 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Dr R. Kelly.

Gregory Barker: I replied to the right hon. Member on 8 January 2014.

Water-cooled Reactors

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects the generic design assessment for the Hitachi-GE advanced boiling water reactor to be completed by the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of completing that assessment.

Michael Fallon: The Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency announced on 6 January that they are progressing to the next phase of Generic Design Assessment of the UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactor. The assessment is a matter for the regulators but I understand that they expect to complete GDA by 2017. As with other such assessments, the full cost of GDA will be charged to the Requesting Party which submits the design for assessment.

Wind Power

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to update the ETSU-R-97 assessment methodology for the noise impact of wind turbine generators.

Gregory Barker: In May 2013, the Institute of Acoustics published a Good Practice Guide, which addressed various technical issues regarding the application of the ETSU-R-97 methodology. The Guide, which was endorsed by the Department, provides a valuable technical supplement to ETSU-R-97, helping to improve the consistency of its application in the consideration of wind farm projects.
	The Department has no current plans to update the ETSU-R-97 methodology for the assessment and rating of noise from wind turbines.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Bellwin Scheme

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many local authorities have made applications for assistance under the Bellwin Scheme to meet the costs of flooding in the last three months;
	(2)  whether his Department plans to provide assistance under the Bellwin Scheme in respect of current flooding at a rate of 85 per cent or 100 per cent of eligible expenditure;
	(3)  how many households have left their homes as a result of flooding in the last three months.

Brandon Lewis: The Bellwin Scheme provides emergency financial assistance to local authorities to help them meet uninsurable costs they incur when responding to a major emergency in their area. It operates by local authorities retrospectively claiming spending back that they have incurred. Assistance under the Bellwin Scheme in respect of the current flooding will be at the rate of 85% of eligible expenditure above threshold, which is the default position under the scheme.
	I also refer the right hon. Member to the statement by the Under-Secretary of State, my noble Friend Baroness Stowell, in her answer to the private notice question of 8 January 2014, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 1509-12.
	No local authorities have made formal applications yet for assistance to meet the costs of flooding in the last three months. As of 8 January 2014, my Department has received 22 notifications from local authorities that they intend to make a claim under Bellwin for the recent severe weather events in due course.
	My Department does not centrally hold information on households who have left their homes as a result of flooding. Individual local authorities may hold this information.

Floods

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what additional resources he has made available to each local authority for clear up and repairs following the floods of December 2013 and January 2014.

Brandon Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the statement by the Under-Secretary of State, my noble Friend Baroness Stowell, in answer to the private notice question of 8 January 2014, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 1509-12.
	I would note that the Bellwin Scheme provides emergency financial assistance to local authorities to help them meet uninsurable costs they incur when responding to a major emergency in their area. It operates by local authorities retrospectively claiming spending back that they have incurred. As of 8 January 2014, my Department had received 22 notifications from local authorities that they intend to make a claim under Bellwin for the recent severe weather events.

Food Banks

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funds his Department has provided to local councils to support foodbanks since June 2010; and what estimate he has made of how much will have been provided by May 2015.

Stephen Williams: Department has not provided any specific funding to local authorities to support food banks; this was similarly the case under the last Administration.
	Food banks which are charitable organisations and paying business rates are likely to be eligible for mandatory rate relief, and other food banks may be eligible for voluntary sector discretionary rate relief.

Rented Housing: Overcrowding

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) social and (b) private rented households were deemed overcrowded in (i) April 2010 and (ii) the most recent date for which data are available.

Kris Hopkins: Based on the English Housing Survey, the figures are:
	
		
			  Social renters Private renters 
			 Three year average to 2010-11   
			 Number of households 278,000 187,000 
			 Percentage of households 7.3 5.6 
			    
			 Three year average to 2011-12   
			 Number of households 249,000 207,000 
			 Percentage of households 6.6 5.7 
		
	
	The absolute figures for the private rented sector may reflect the fact that the size of the private rented sector has increased over the period.
	The social housing reforms in the Localism Act 2011 have given local authorities and social landlords the tools they need to tackle overcrowding, while retaining the ‘reasonable preference' provisions in the allocation legislation which ensure that overcrowded families continue to get priority for social housing. HomeSwap Direct is there to make it easier for overcrowded social tenants to swap with those who want to downsize. The removal of the spare room subsidy also encourages the more effective use of social housing, by addressing the under-occupation of family homes.
	This Government are committed to a bigger and better private rented sector, which is why, following the Montague review, we have put in place the £1 billion build to rent fund and the £10 billion housing guarantee schemes, to help boost the provision of private rented accommodation. We have also avoided excessive regulation which would result in higher rents and restrict choice and supply, whilst helping councils take action against the very small minority of rogue landlords.

TREASURY

Children: Day Care

Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2013, Official Report, column 366W on children: day care, what information his Department collects on claims made for tax relief for workplace nurseries.

Nicky Morgan: Taxable benefits in kind have to be reported to HMRC but there is no requirement for employers or employees to report non-taxable benefits, such as those in the form of workplace nursery schemes.
	Therefore no “claims for tax relief” of the type in the question are made and no corresponding information is collected.

Government Securities: Greece

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that all holders of Greek Sovereign Bonds comply with the agreed 2012 debt restructuring, including bonds governed under UK law.

Sajid Javid: The 2012 restructuring of Greece’s sovereign debt is a matter for the Greek Government.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what responsibilities GPs have to inform patients of the implications for insurance of ignoring medical advice to surrender a driving licence for medical reasons.

Daniel Poulter: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Health.
	General practitioners are not required to inform patients of the implications for insurance of ignoring medical advice to surrender a driving licence for medical reasons.
	It is the responsibility of individual drivers to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of any medical condition which could affect their driving. Failure to inform the DVLA could result in a fine of up to £1,000. An individual may also be prosecuted if they are involved in an accident.

Public Finance: Scotland

Gordon Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  with reference to the report, Fiscal sustainability of an independent Scotland, published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in November 2013, if he will make an estimate of the tax rise or public expenditure reduction that would be required (a) per person and (b) per household to close the fiscal gap identified in that report.
	(2)  with reference to the Institute for Fiscal Studies paper, The fiscal implications of an independent Scotland, if he will estimate the change in (a) taxation and (b) public spending per household and per person if Scotland became an independent country.

Danny Alexander: Based on the main IFS projections, an independent Scotland would need to make permanent tax increases or spending cuts in 2020 equivalent to £6.1 billion (in 2012-13 prices) to put debt on course to reach 40% of GDP in 2062-63. This is equivalent to tax increases or spending cuts of £1,150 per person and £2,560 per household. Under their most optimistic scenario, the IFS determined that an independent Scotland would need to make a permanent adjustment in 2020 equivalent to increasing the basic rate of tax by 8 pence, which would add an average of £1,000 per year to the income tax of a basic rate taxpayer (in 2012-13 prices).
	The most optimistic IFS scenario for an independent Scotland still therefore means an adjustment that would be two and half times the size that the IFS forecast would be required for the UK.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Gordon Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost incurred by the UK Exchequer is for national security; and what the difference is between a pro rata allocation of those costs to Scotland and the estimates by the Scottish Government of the costs in 2016-17.

Danny Alexander: National security is organised, resourced and managed on a UK-wide basis to provide a high level of protection for all parts of the UK and its citizens. The security budget is for the whole of the UK and is not apportioned on a regional basis. Scotland and the rest of the UK derive mutual benefit from an integrated approach to national security and cyber, as well as from security exports and international alliances and relationships.
	The UK Government's paper “Scotland analysis: security”, set out that the costs of providing both defence and national security in an independent Scotland would have to be met from within the Scottish Government's proposed budget of £2.5 billion per year. This is only about 7% of the combined UK budgets for defence, intelligence and cyber—the UK spent over £34 billion on defence in 2012-13 and over £2 billion per year for the security and intelligence agencies and the National Cyber Security Programme. The Scottish Government's proposed budget for both defence and national security in an independent Scotland is less than countries such as Denmark and Norway spend on defence alone.
	The UK Government are not planning for an independent Scotland and cannot pre-negotiate details of independence ahead of the referendum. It is for those advocating independence to explain the security implications of the establishment of an independent Scottish state. In the event of a vote to leave the UK, it would be for the Scottish Government to determine the security budget for an independent Scottish state.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Gordon Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of renewable subsidies for projects in Scotland in each year to 2016-17.

Gregory Barker: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
	I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 8 January 2014, Official Report, column 248W.

Tax Avoidance

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and which tax avoidance partnership schemes are undergoing legal proceedings.

David Gauke: Under their statutory duty to maintain taxpayer confidentiality, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is unable to provide details of individual cases which have not already been published by the courts.
	HMRC is however very successful in tackling avoidance through litigation—over 80% of cases were won in the past year, with over £1 billion of revenue protected from court wins.
	The latest example of success against tax avoidance using partnerships was a judgment handed down in December 2013 in the case of the Eclipse 35 scheme. The Upper Tribunal found that this scheme did not work because the partnership was not carrying on a trade.
	This is only the latest in a series of successful challenges on tax avoidance schemes involving partnerships, and on its own it protected £117 million of tax.

HEALTH

Brain: Tumours

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that GPs diagnose brain tumours as quickly as possible;
	(2)  if he will take steps to ensure clinical nurse specialists are available to everyone living with a brain tumour;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to ensure that quality of life issues inform the process of deciding which treatments are available nationally for people living with brain tumours;
	(4)  what performance indicators his Department uses to measure the quality and accessibility of care and support services for people living with rare cancers;
	(5)  what his Department and the NHS are doing to improve access to care and quality of life services for patients and carers affected by brain tumours in light of the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2012-13.

Jane Ellison: Through the Mandate, we have asked NHS England to deliver continued improvements in relation to patients' experience of care, including cancer care.
	Since 1 April 2013, NHS England has been responsible for the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey, which provides an invaluable insight into cancer patients' experience of care and support across the whole treatment pathway. The survey includes the responses of patients with brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumours.
	On 30 August 2013, NHS England published the report of the 2013 Cancer Patient Experience Survey which included the responses of over 68,000 patients. With regard to local support services, according to the 2013 survey's findings, 85% of patients diagnosed with brain or CNS tumour stated that they had been given information about support or self-help groups, compared to 80% in the previous survey. In addition to this, the survey found that 90% of patients diagnosed with brain and CNS tumours said that they were given the name of a clinical nurse specialist, compared to 87% in the previous survey. NHS England's service specification for brain and CNS cancers sets out that patients should have access to a clinical nurse specialist as part of their multidisciplinary team to support them through the care pathway.
	To drive improvement locally, reports have been produced for individual trusts, so that commissioners can directly challenge and incentivise improvements; and so providers can benchmark their performance against one another.
	NHS England is also working with high performing trusts in the survey to identify best practice that can be shared and developed into toolkits and will then work with trusts with poorer scores to review how they use insight to develop service improvement plans.
	“Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer”, published on 12 January 2011, stated that general practitioners need easy access to the right diagnostic tests to diagnose or exclude cancer earlier. The strategy committed over £450 million to achieve early diagnosis of cancer, including improving access to key diagnostic tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging scans to support the diagnosis of brain cancer.
	In addition to this, since 2005, the “Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer”, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have supported GPs to identify patients with the symptoms of suspected cancer, including brain tumours, and urgently refer them as appropriate. NICE is in the process of updating this guidance to ensure that it reflects the latest evidence.
	To increase GP awareness of brain tumours, in 2012, the Department funded British Medical Journal Learning to provide an e-learning module for GPs on diagnosing osteosarcoma and brain tumours in children.
	Finally, to ensure that quality of life issues inform the process of deciding which treatments are available nationally for people living with brain tumours, NICE takes into account health benefits, including quality of life, in developing its guidance to the NHS on the use of new and existing medicines and treatments and on the appropriate treatment and care of people with specific diseases and conditions.
	Further to this, NHS England's service specification for brain and CNS tumours makes it clear that one of the aims of the service is to deliver care that promotes optimal functioning and quality of life for each individual patient. Service specifications clearly set out what providers need to have in place to offer evidence-based, safe and effective services.

Breastfeeding

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has allocated to fund the breastfeeding pilot scheme in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

Daniel Poulter: The Department has allocated no funds for the pilot scheme in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds the Government have spent on research for myalgic encephalomyelitis since 2010; and what funds the Government plan to spend on the study of that condition in the next five years.

Daniel Poulter: Expenditure by the Department on research on chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) through research programmes, research centres and units, and research training awards is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2010-11 0.3 
			 2011-12 0.4 
			 2012-13 0.6 
		
	
	Total spend on CFS/ME research by the Department is higher than this because expenditure by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) on CFS/ME research cannot be disaggregated from total CRN expenditure.
	Total spend in future years by the NIHR on CFS/ME research depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The usual practice of the NIHR is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including CFS/ME. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made.
	Over the period 2010-11 to 2012-13 the Medical Research Council (MRC) spent over £0.4 million on research into CFS/ME.
	Research into CFS/ME is a priority area for the MRC. In 2011 £1.6 million was awarded to support five research grants following a call for proposals which aimed to improve understanding of the mechanisms of CFS/ME. A highlight notice identifying further areas where applications are encouraged is currently in place. The MRC does not normally allocate funds to particular topics and research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. Awards are made according to their scientific quality and importance to human health.
	Details of MRC research can be found on the RCUK Gateway to Research website at:
	http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
	and further information on MRC support for CFS/ME can be found on the MRC website at:
	www.mrc.ac.uk/Ourresearch/ResearchInitiatives/CFSME/index.htm

Headaches

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the total number of emergency hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of migraine or other headache syndrome for each year recorded by the Health and Social Care Information Centre was for each primary care trust and clinical commissioning group in England;
	(2)  how many emergency hospital admissions in England with a primary diagnosis of migraine or other headache syndrome had a pre-existing medical diagnosis of migraine or primary headache syndrome prior to the emergency admission between 2011 and 2013.

Jane Ellison: Information on finished emergency admission episodes with a primary diagnosis of migraine or other headache syndrome (ICD10 codes G43 and G44) by primary care trust (PCT) and clinical commissioning group (CCG) of residence for the years 2010-11 to 2012-13 has been placed in the Library.
	For the years specified PCT boundaries were applicable. CCG geographies have been applied retrospectively for the years 2010-11 to 2012-13.
	Reference should be made to the notes when interpreting these data.
	Data cannot be provided on how many emergency hospital admissions in England with a primary diagnosis of migraine or other headache syndrome had a pre-existing medical diagnosis of migraine or primary headache syndrome prior to the emergency admission between 2011 and 2013 as information about pre-existing conditions is not available, only the conditions for which the patient received treatment.
	Notes:
	1. Finished admission episodes
	A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period.
	2. Primary diagnosis
	The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital.
	3. ICD10 Codes
	The following ICD10 codes were used to identify migraine and other headache syndromes:
	G43 Migraine
	G44 Other headache syndromes
	4. SHA/PCT of residence
	The strategic health authority (SHA) or PCT containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment.
	A change in methodology in 2011-12 resulted in an increase in the number of records where the PCT or SHA of residence was unknown. From 2006-07 to 2010-11 the current PCT and SHA of residence fields were populated from the recorded patient postcode. In order to improve data completeness, if the postcode was unknown the PCT, SHA and country of residence were populated from the PCT/SHA value supplied by the provider. From April 2011-12 onwards if the patient postcode is unknown the PCT, SHA and country of residence are listed as unknown.
	5. CCG of residence
	The CCG containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another area for treatment.

Health Services

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost per visit was to (a) a GP, (b) accident and emergency and (c) a walk-in centre in (i) England and (ii) East Lancashire in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jane Ellison: The Department collects reference costs annually from national health service trusts and NHS foundation trusts in England. It does not collect the cost of the provision of care by general practitioners. This means it is only possible to provide the average cost of a visit to walk-in centres provided by NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts.
	The most recent period for which reference costs are available is 2012-13.
	
		
			 Average cost per visit 
			 £ 
			  England East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 Accident and emergency1 115 128 
			 Walk-in centre2 44 n/a 
			 n/a = Not available. Notes: 1 This includes all types of accident and emergency departments including type 04. 2 Walk-in centres provided by NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts are categorised as type 04 accident and emergency departments. 
		
	
	There is no walk-in centre at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the Government's proposed immigration health surcharge on the NHS as an employer.

Jane Ellison: Under proposals in the current Immigration Bill, non-European economic area nationals subject to immigration control who are coming to the United Kingdom for more than six months would pay a health surcharge as a contribution to the costs of their healthcare, including those who are coming to work in the national health service.
	Although in the past the NHS relied quite heavily on recruiting staff overseas, efforts to recruit, train and retain staff in this country have had a positive impact in recent years. For example data from the Nursing and Midwifery Council show a 92% decline in registrations of overseas nurses from 2004 to 2013.
	We do not believe that the surcharge, which is proposed to be set at £200 a year for workers, will have a significant impact on the NHS as an employer, but we will assess this if the surcharge comes into force.

Human Papillomavirus

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when in 2014 the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation sub-committee will report its findings on the extension of HPV vaccinations to men who have sex with men or to adolescent boys.

Jane Ellison: The HPV sub-committee will report its findings to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation following consideration of a yet to be completed study by Public Health England into the cost-effectiveness of extending HPV vaccination to men who have sex with men or to adolescent boys. This study is expected to be completed in 2014 at the earliest; but it is not possible to be precise about a date until all relevant evidence has been assembled.

Midwives

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the attrition rate was for midwives in the last year for which data are available; what proportion of midwifery students (a) failed to complete their training and (b) failed to obtain their degree in the last five years; how many midwives left the profession within two years of qualifying; and how many midwives are due to retire in the next two years.

Daniel Poulter: National non-medical average attrition rates are traditionally reported using data from completed cohorts. It can take up to five years for a completed cohort to move through the system, as trainees can defer, for reasons such as maternity leave.
	Midwife attrition data collated by the Department, for the years 2009 to 2012, are included in the following table:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			  2005-06 start 2006-07 start 2007-08 start 
			 Total midwifery 17.6 22.1 25.9 
			 Diploma 11.5 26.5 27.4 
			 Degree 20.5 21.1 25.7 
		
	
	The latest quarterly data, September 2013, show that the overall number of midwives has risen by an additional 1,152 (5.7%) more than there were in May 2010. There are now 21,284 (full-time equivalent) qualified midwives and from 1 April 2013 a record 6,000 in training.
	Health Education England are now responsible for this data collection and will be providing future midwife attrition data. Data regarding midwives who left the profession within two years of qualifying are not collected by the Department.
	Midwives may choose to leave the profession for a number of reasons, including retirement, and specific information capturing reasons for leaving the midwifery profession is not collected.

NHS: ICT

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure cyber security and clinical safety for electronic medical applications.

Daniel Poulter: An Information Governance Assurance Framework and its Information Governance Toolkit have been provided to assist care organisations determine appropriate security controls. They contain a comprehensive range of security standards and good practice guidance applicable for care organisations of all types. In addition, a new care system Cyber Security Leadership Forum has recently been established to improve awareness of cyber security issues and the sharing of relevant experience and skills.
	A Health and Social Care Information Centre system exists for the reporting of data losses. This system will be extended to allow reporting of cyber security incidents affecting both clinical and other information assets.
	Clinical safety requirements are addressed through Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency regulation or NHS England mandatory standards ISB 0129 and ISB 0160. Clinical incident reporting processes also exist through the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

TRANSPORT

Bus Services: Concessions

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the continuation of a national free bus pass for pensioners.

Stephen Hammond: The right to free bus travel for both older and disabled people is enshrined in primary legislation. The Government have committed to preserving the current statutory entitlement to concessionary bus travel in this Parliament.

Car Tax

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether payment of vehicle excise duty will be monitored through (a) a chip on a vehicle windscreen or registration plate or (b) the registration plate alone following the removal of the requirement to display a paper tax disc on vehicle windscreens.

Stephen Hammond: There are no plans for the payment of vehicle excise duty to be monitored by a chip on a vehicle windscreen or registration plate once the requirement to display a paper tax disc is removed.
	However, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the police continue to use the registration plate for enforcement action through the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. The DVLA will also continue to use the information contained within the vehicle register to prompt compliance and enforce from the vehicle records.

Crossrail Line

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department plans to announce its preferred bidder for the Crossrail rolling stock contract before the second quarter of 2014.

Stephen Hammond: Crossrail Limited (CRL) is managing the procurement of the Crossrail Rolling Stock and Depot contract. CRL is currently in the process of evaluating the bids, with a view to announcing the successful bidder by spring 2014.
	I will give a statement to the House once this procurement has concluded.

Driving Tests

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the annual cost of running the driving theory test under his Department's contract with Pearson Driving Assessments Ltd is; and what estimate he has made of the annual cost of running that test under the contract with Learn Direct from September 2016.

Stephen Hammond: The annual cost of running the Driving Theory Test under the contract with Pearson Driving Assessments in 2012-13 was £31.46 million. As a result of new contract arrangements, net costs per test will fall from September 2014 and again from September 2016. The cost of running the Driving Theory Test from September 2016 with learndirect is largely dependent on the future volume of tests but DVSA estimates the annual cost will be between £21 million and £25 million.

Helicopters

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on the weight of flight recorder equipment and the effect it would have on helicopter performance if universally equipped on the UK helicopter fleet.

Robert Goodwill: There have not been any discussions on this subject with the Civil Aviation Authority. The weight of flight recorder equipment varies depending on its complexity. Any increase in equipment required to be carried on a helicopter will have some effect on performance, but the effect will vary relative to the size of the aircraft.

Helicopters

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on the likely cost of equipping flight recorder equipment in all public sector helicopter fleets across the UK.

Robert Goodwill: There have not been any discussions on this subject with the Civil Aviation Authority and the likely cost would be dependent on the level of equipment required. The introduction of any new requirement would require a full impact assessment to be carried out which would include an assessment of the likely costs.

Helicopters

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2013, Official Report, column 324W, how many (a) deaths and (b) injuries were caused in the 169 helicopter accidents in the past 10 years where no flight recorder was present; and how many (i) deaths and (ii) injuries were caused in helicopter accidents in the last 10 years where flight recorder equipment was present.

Robert Goodwill: The figures provided on 12 December were incorrect due to a classification error in the original dataset, which has since been rectified. I can now confirm that in the past 10 years there have been 171 accidents in the UK involving helicopters. In 160 of these accidents no flight data recorder was fitted or required to be fitted to the aircraft.
	Of the 11 accidents with flight recorders present, there were 27 fatalities and four injuries. Of the 160 accidents without flight recorders present, there were 49 fatalities and 95 injuries.

Helicopters

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) or other European Ministers on implications of EASA's forthcoming rule making programme for the regulation of flight recorder equipment in helicopters across European states.

Robert Goodwill: The European Aviation Safety Agency's rule making programme is discussed regularly by the agency's management board, which includes representatives from all member states, including the UK. The current programme includes the enhancement of the technical requirements for flight recorders.
	The programme does not currently include any extension to the type of helicopters which are required to carry flight recorders.

Helicopters

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with helicopter manufacturers and commercial operators in the UK on the potential for voluntary initiatives to ensure the presence of flight recorder equipment on all helicopters.

Robert Goodwill: There have been no discussions between the Department and helicopter manufacturers and commercial operators on the potential for voluntary initiatives to ensure the presence of flight recorder equipment on all helicopters. Any decision to voluntarily fit such equipment is a matter for individual operators.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will direct HS2 Ltd to undertake a primary study of the comparative effects of the proposed High Speed 2 route and the Alternative Tunnel Proposal developed by Peter Brett Associates on the landscape, biodiversity, geomorphology and archaeology of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Goodwill: An assessment has been made of the tunnel options put forward from the community, specifically the alternative proposed by Peter Brett Associates, and this assessment takes account of the environmental, technical and economic costs and benefits. These factors are then balanced against one another to determine the preferred outcome. This work has determined that the Proposed Scheme as put forward in the hybrid Bill is the correct option.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the potential difference in cost of High Speed 2 (a) land and property compensation and (b) all other types of compensation from the Chilterns Alternative Tunnel proposal developed by Peter Brett Associates; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Goodwill: The assessment of longer tunnel options that HS2 Ltd has undertaken takes account of the cost of building tunnels, property compensation costs and the proposed additional environmental mitigation. As a result, the proposed scheme remains the preferred option.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if HS2 Ltd will provide detailed information relating to the calculation of the additional costs required to develop the full High Speed 2 rail tunnel option in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Goodwill: Summary headline costs of tunnel works, other civil works, rail systems and property/land have been made available as part of on-going dialogue with local groups. While HS2 Ltd do have the detailed information relating to the calculation of additional costs, they will not be released as they may undermine our negotiating position when the contracts for construction are put to tender.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the Alternative Tunnel Proposal report that was published on 2 December 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Goodwill: No discussions have taken place with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the Alternative Tunnel proposal published on 2 December.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the current High Speed 2 budget has been allocated to (a) land acquisition, (b) land and property compensation and (c) all other types of compensation; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Goodwill: There is no specific sum of money set aside exclusively for property compensation and property purchase schemes associated with HS2.
	A consultation on discretionary support for residential property owners affected by the Phase One route of HS2 closed on 4 December 2013. The Government expect to announce their decision by the summer of 2014. The result of the consultation will be one of the influences on the final cost of compensation for Phase One. It is therefore not possible to say at this stage how much land and compensation for HS2 will cost, but a figure of around £1.6 billion for Phase One has been assumed.
	Property and compensation payments both form a call on the HS2 Property capital budget, which is £100 million for 2013-14 and £150 million for 2014-15.
	Other types of compensation for Phase 1 primarily comprise of compensation to Train Operating Companies for disruption caused by HS2 works. An indicative figure of around £440 million has been assumed but this will be kept under review as the detailed design and construction work planning matures.
	On Phase Two, Government are currently consulting on the line of route which once a decision has been made, will help to determine the indicative costs for property compensation and acquisition and other types of compensation.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the effects of the second phase of High Speed 2 on (a) East Lancashire and (b) Hyndburn constituency.

Robert Goodwill: High speed trains on the western leg would be able to run onto the classic network to serve destinations such as Preston, Lancaster and further north. Analysis of regional benefits carried out by KPMG shows that while all regions benefit, the city regions in the Midlands and the North do particularly well. This contradicts suggestions that London will benefit from HS2 at the expense of the North. KPMG results for Preston, Fylde and Wyre show that HS2 will lead to an annual increase in future economic output worth between £179 million and £141 million.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pages of the environmental statement on High Speed 2 were omitted from USB sticks; and how many such sticks were distributed with information missing.

Robert Goodwill: As a result of a production error with the USB memory sticks, some material from the technical appendices contained in Volume 5 of the Environmental Statement was omitted. This section includes technical details that are ancillary to the main content of the ES and are not normally included in documents of this kind. The omitted information largely consisted of images of maps and other minor data omissions—the substance of which are replicated elsewhere in the document. In total, this amounted to 877 pages which represents a small fraction of the 48,000 page document.
	Upon identifying the errors, immediate steps were taken to rectify them and provide local authorities, parish councils and libraries with replacements for the 167 memory sticks that were distributed to them. Replacements were also provided for the two memory sticks formally deposited to Parliament and 388 sticks made available to Members and Lords by the House authorities.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what feasibility studies he has (a) recently commissioned and (b) is considering commissioning for extensions to the planned HS2 network.

Robert Goodwill: We announced in November of last year that the Department is undertaking a study in collaboration with the Scottish Government to identify the broad options available to make further capacity and journey time improvements between northern England and Scotland, including how to cut journeys from Glasgow and Edinburgh to London to three hours or less. There are no other such studies planned or commissioned.

Midland Main Railway Line

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department plans to announce the procurement of new high speed electric rolling stock for the upgraded Midland Mainline.

Stephen Hammond: No decisions have been taken regarding the procurement of electric rolling stock for the Midland Main Line. The matter will be largely for the train operator. An announcement on this will be made in due course.

Motorways: Accidents

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road users have been killed or seriously injured between (a) junction 10 and junction 13 of the M1 motorway, (b) junctions 19 and 20 on the M4 motorway, (c) junctions 15 and 17 on the M5 motorway, (d) junctions 4 and 5 and junctions 8 and 10a on the M6 motorway and (e) junctions 3a and 7 on the M42 motorway in each of the last five years.

Robert Goodwill: I have asked Highways Agency officials to compile the information, which will be placed in the Library of the House as soon as possible. I will also send a copy of the information to the hon. Member.

Northern Rail

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an assessment of the potential benefits to the public purse of Directly Operated Railways operating Northern Rail services if it is not possible to agree a new contract with the incumbent operator.

Stephen Hammond: The Secretary of State has a statutory duty under the Railways Act 1993 (as amended) to maintain the running of rail passenger services. If he is unable to secure a new contract for an operator for such services, including those currently operated by Northern Rail, Directly Operated Railways could fulfil this requirement.

Northern Rail

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the future government funding requirements in the event that responsibility for Northern Rail services is devolved;
	(2)  what the split in funding will be between central government and local authorities in the event that responsibility for Northern Rail services is devolved.

Stephen Hammond: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 January 2014, Official Report, columns 122-3W, to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell).

Northern Rail

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an assessment of potential benefits to the public purse of Directly Operated Railways operating Northern Rail services in the event that it is not possible to agree a new contract with the incumbent operator.

Stephen Hammond: The Secretary of State has a statutory duty under the Railways Act 1993 (as amended) to maintain the running of rail passenger services. If he is unable to secure a new contract for an operator for such services, including those currently operated by Northern Rail, Directly Operated Railways could fulfil this requirement.

Parking: Fees and Charges

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many complaints have been made about the issuing of private parking tickets in the last year; how many have been upheld; and how many companies have been barred from access to the DVLA data base.

Stephen Hammond: Records show that the DVLA received 58 complaints about the practices of private parking companies in 2013.
	Complaints against the DVLA do not constitute appeals against the parking charges being pursued. Therefore, the DVLA does not hold information about the number of complaints that have been upheld.
	27 companies were suspended from requesting vehicle keeper details from the DVLA in 2013, of these 20 were private parking companies.

Parking: Fees and Charges

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many companies were suspended from receiving vehicle keeper data in 2013.

Stephen Hammond: 27 companies were suspended from receiving vehicle keeper data from the DVLA in 2013.

Pedestrian Crossings

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department plans to review the current guidance on pedestrian crossings and the amount of time given to pedestrians to cross the road.

Robert Goodwill: The Department's guidance on designing pedestrian crossings, including setting timings, is given in Local Transport Note 1/95: The Assessment of Pedestrian Crossings, Local Transport Note 2/95: The Design of Pedestrian Crossings, and Traffic Advisory Leaflet 5/05: Pedestrian Facilities at Signal-controlled Junctions.
	The Department recommends that where a crossing may be used by a large number of older people or those with mobility issues, for example outside residential care homes, this should be taken into account when setting timings.
	The Department is currently undertaking a review of traffic signing legislation, including the Zebra, Pelican and Puffin Pedestrian Crossings Regulations and General Directions. Once this is concluded, the Department will consider the need to update guidance to reflect these changes.

Pedestrian Crossings

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the overall benefits to local councils of upgrading pedestrian crossings to a puffin standard that detects pedestrians and can accommodate much lower walking speeds with minimal impact on vehicle traffic.

Robert Goodwill: Decisions on what type of crossing to provide are for local traffic authorities, taking into account local factors such as road layout, traffic speed and volume, and pedestrian flow.
	The Department gives advice on assessing and designing pedestrian crossings in two Local Transport Notes (LTNs), LTN 1/95: The Assessment of Pedestrian Crossings and LTN 2/95: The Design of Pedestrian Crossings. These are available to download from:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-transport-notes
	Specific guidance on designing puffin crossings is provided in a joint DFT/CSS publication, the Puffin Good Practice Guide. This is available to download from:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120606202951/http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/puffin-crossings
	Initial research was commissioned by the then Department of Transport (DOT) in 1992 to develop the puffin pedestrian crossing concept. This focused on two experimental sites and concluded that the results justified the extension of the experiment to a further 50 sites. The report is available to download from:
	http://www.trl.co.uk/online_store/reports_publications/trl_reports/cat_road_user_safety/report_the_puffin_pedestrian_ crossing_experience_with_the_first_experimental_sites.htm
	Further research commissioned by the DFT showed that Pelican crossings converted to Puffin crossings showed an average reduction in accidents of 17%. The report is available to download from:
	www.trl.co.uk/online_store/reports_publications/trl_reports/cat_traffic_engineering/report_puffin_pedestrian_crossing_ accident_study.htm

Railways: Fares

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the Government's proposal to regulate longer distance rail tickets on a single leg basis cost.

Stephen Hammond: No decision has been made on whether to regulate longer distance rail tickets on a single leg basis. A trial of single leg tickets on an inter-city route due to take place in 2015 will help determine the feasibility and cost of making a permanent change across the rail network.

Railways: Fares

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Government's pilot to sell longer distance rail tickets on a single leg basis cost.

Stephen Hammond: The Fares and Ticketing Review, published in October 2013, included plans to trial single leg tickets on an inter-city route to enable Government to consider the feasibility of making this approach permanent and extending it network-wide when it is affordable to do so. The amount to be paid for the trial will be determined through our negotiations with train operators.

Rescue Services

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received an analysis from Bristow on the cost and viability of maintaining search and rescue services at RMB Chivenor to date.

Stephen Hammond: The Department did not consider the cost of maintaining search and rescue services at RMB Chivenor as the base did not feature in Bristow Helicopters' final tender. It did, however, challenge the viability of all bidders' basing solutions throughout the competitive dialogue process, taking into consideration the Department's coverage requirement and affordability criteria. Bristow Helicopters' proposal to operate helicopters from Cardiff St Athan Airport as part of its final tender fully met the Department's bid criteria.

Rolling Stock

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultants have been used to provide advice on train leasing arrangements in the last five years; and what conflicts of interest they declared.

Stephen Hammond: In the last five years, the following companies have provided consultancy advice on train leasing arrangements:
	Freshfields;
	PWC;
	Steer Davies Gleave;
	Booz & Company;
	Leigh Fisher;
	Arup/lnterfleet;
	Willis;
	Eversheds;
	Burges Salmon; and
	Halcrow/TRL.
	Three conflicts of interest were notified, two by Interfleet and one by Burges Salmon. In each case the Department was satisfied that appropriate protection was in place.

Rolling Stock

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who will own the rolling stock provided for (a) the Intercity Express programme, (b) the Thameslink Rolling Stock project and (c) Crossrail.

Stephen Hammond: The rolling stock for the Intercity Express Programme will be owned by Agility Trains. The new Thameslink rolling stock fleet will be owned by Cross London Trains Ltd and the rolling stock for Crossrail will be owned by Transport for London.

Rolling Stock

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultancy costs his Department has incurred in the last five years in respect of advice on train leasing arrangements.

Stephen Hammond: Train leasing arrangements are generally a matter for train operating companies and rolling stock leasing companies.
	Where the Department has employed consultants to assist it during rolling stock projects, those companies provide advice on a number of areas, which may include train leasing arrangements. It has not, therefore, been possible to break consultancy costs down to such a specific area of work.

Virgin Trains

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the profits made by Virgin West Coast since the introduction of the management contract in December 2012.

Stephen Hammond: West Coast Trains Limited, operating as Virgin Trains, publish their audited accounts through Companies House. This will detail profits made.
	Virgin Trains’ company number is 3007940.

West Coast Railway Line

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what fees have been paid to Virgin West Coast by the Government since the introduction of the management contract in December 2012.

Stephen Hammond: Virgin West Coast retains 1% of revenue as per the contracted terms. This is the “fee” as agreed in the management contract.
	For the relevant 16-week period ending 31 March 2013 within the financial year 2012-13 (ending 31 March 2013), Virgin West Coast Trains’ "fee" for the provision of the Franchise Services totalled £2,860,000.
	In the same period, the Government received £24,313,000 as a premium payment from Virgin West Coast.
	Cleared, audited accounts are not yet available for the tax year 2013-14.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum: Deportation

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers were returned successfully to (a) China and (b) Iran in the last three years for which data are available.

Mark Harper: The following table provides the number of asylum cases removed or departing voluntarily from the UK in each year from 2010 to 2012.
	
		
			 Asylum removals and voluntary departures to China and Iran, 2010 to 20121, 2, 3 
			  Country of destination Total asylum enforced removals Total asylum voluntary departures 
			 2010 China 514 598 
			 2011 China 381 519 
			 2012(P) China 357 482 
			 2010 Iran 50 79 
			 2011 Iran 53 86 
			 2012(P) Iran 22 58 
			 1 Destination as recorded on source database; all nationals returned to China and Iran. 2 Removals are recorded on the system as at the dates on which the data extracts were taken. 3 Recorded on the system as having claimed asylum at some point. 
		
	
	It is not possible within these figures to say at what stage in the asylum process individuals have reached at the time of their removal, including whether their claim has failed at that point, as those departing voluntarily can do so at any stage without necessarily notifying the Home Office.
	The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of persons removed or departed voluntarily from the UK within the Immigration Statistics release. A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics July-September 2013 is available from:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release
	and will be placed in the Library of the House.
	Information for 2013 will be available from 27 February 2014.

Asylum: Sri Lanka

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers from Sri Lanka who claimed in (a) 2008, (b) 2009, (c) 2010, (d) 2011 and (e) 2012 have not yet received an initial decision; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: holding answer 6 January 2014
	The numbers of Sri Lankan nationals who applied for asylum in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 and have not received an initial decision on their application are 27, 21, 25, 123 and 422 respectively.
	The Home Office publishes information on the outcome of asylum applications by year of application in Table as_06 of the release Immigration Statistics (Asylum data tables Volume 1).
	A copy of the latest release Immigration Statistics July to September 2013, which includes these data as at May 2013, is available from the Library of the House and the link below:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2013
	Data for 2013 will be available from 28 August 2014.
	We aim to take initial decisions as quickly as possible. In 2012-13, 78% of initial decisions on all cases were taken within six months.
	There are cases where an initial decision will necessarily take longer than six months. This is due to circumstances for which the Home Office is not responsible including the time required to await expert medical reports or where there are issues relating to national security.

Counter-terrorism

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2013, Official Report, column 316W, on counter-terrorism, which local authorities submitted evaluations of projects undertaken under the Prevent Agenda to the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism in each of the last three years.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 6 January 2014
	The following local authorities have submitted evaluations of Prevent projects to the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism (OSCT) to date as follows:
	2011-12: Birmingham, Blackburn with Darwen, Brent, Derby, Ealing, Hackney, Lewisham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Wandsworth,
	2012-13: Birmingham, Derby, Ealing, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, Lewisham, Leicester, Manchester, Newham, Stoke-on-Trent, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Wandsworth, and
	2013-14: Derby, Hammersmith and Fulham, Newham and Wandsworth.
	In addition, all areas receiving Prevent funding are subject to a formal performance management process which takes place every six months, against a monitoring framework that assesses the performance of each local authority priority area. This gives us a systematic overview of all funded projects, enabling us to track milestones, outputs and outcomes.

Counter-terrorism

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2013, Official Report, column 385W, on counter-terrorism, how much funding each local authority received in each year of the Prevent agenda.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 6 January 2014
	This information is not publicly available.

Crime Prevention

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what work her Department is undertaking to improve the policing of minority communities and the confidence that these communities have in their local constabulary.

Damian Green: Improved diversity in policing is absolutely necessary to cut crime in a modern, diverse society, while building the trust and confidence of local communities. Diversity is more than ever an important part of operational effectiveness.
	The Government have said that police forces must do more to ensure that they reflect the communities they serve. The College of Policing is engaged in a major programme of work looking at recruitment, retention and progression of black and minority ethnic officers. As part of that the college will be looking at ways of ensuring the police can make more use of the positive action provisions of the Equality Act 2010.
	The college is also engaged in work to refresh the National Diversity Strategy and the Local Policing Strategy for the police in England and Wales to ensure that all police officers and staff can meet the needs of diverse communities.

Forms

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forms have been standardised; and what the take up of standardised forms by police forces in England and Wales has been.

Damian Green: Police forces are operationally independent and generally free to determine which forms they use and how they use them. Police contact with the public is primarily through 999 and 101 services and through social media platforms.
	Where a case results in a prosecution, all forces use standardised Manual of Guidance Forms (MG forms) in the case file preparation.

Homicide

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many domestic violence related homicides there were in each police force area in England and Wales in each of the last three years.

Norman Baker: The available information is given in the table and is taken from the Home Office Homicide Index.
	Data are based on the number of homicides where the victim's relationship to the principal suspect was partner or ex-partner.
	
		
			 Table A: Offences currently recorded as domestic violence related homicide1,2 by police force area, 2009-10 to 2011-12, England and Wales 
			  Numbers of victims 
			 Police force area 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Avon and Somerset 2 2 5 
			 Bedfordshire 1 1 4 
			 British Transport Police 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 3 1 2 
			 Cheshire 2 4 1 
			 Cleveland 3 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 2 0 
			 Derbyshire 1 1 3 
			 Devon and Cornwall 3 4 3 
			 Dorset 2 1 2 
			 Durham 2 2 3 
			 Dyfed Powys 0 1 0 
			 Essex 2 1 3 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 0 
			 Greater Manchester 6 5 7 
			 Gwent 1 0 1 
			 Hampshire 5 3 1 
		
	
	
		
			 Hertfordshire 2 2 1 
			 Humberside 3 2 0 
			 Kent 5 3 4 
			 Lancashire 5 7 2 
			 Leicestershire 5 2 1 
			 Lincolnshire 1 2 1 
			 London, City of 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 2 0 6 
			 Metropolitan Police 12 20 16 
			 Norfolk 3 2 1 
			 North Wales 3 0 2 
			 North Yorkshire 2 3 0 
			 Northamptonshire 2 1 0 
			 Northumbria 2 0 2 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 3 4 
			 South Wales 7 1 0 
			 South Yorkshire 4 5 2 
			 Staffordshire 3 1 2 
			 Suffolk 2 4 0 
			 Surrey 2 3 2 
			 Sussex 1 5 1 
			 Thames Valley 2 5 6 
			 Warwickshire 1 2 2 
			 West Mercia 4 2 1 
			 West Midlands 3 9 7 
			 West Yorkshire 4 4 7 
			 Wiltshire 1 1 0 
			     
			 England and Wales 115 117 105 
			 1 As at 1 November 2012; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available. 2 Offences where the victim's relationship to principal suspect is spouse (including civil partner), cohabiting partner, boyfriend/girlfriend, ex-spouse/ex-cohabiting partner/ex-boyfriend/girlfriend, adulterous relationship, lover's spouse or emotional rival are shown. Source: Homicide Index, Home Office

Human Trafficking

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many victims of trafficking for (a) labour exploitation and (b) domestic servitude were referred to the National Referral Mechanism by each first responder in each of the last three years.

James Brokenshire: The following tables set out the number of victims referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for domestic servitude and labour exploitation, broken down by first responder for each year from 2010 to 17 December 2013.
	Data reflect the organisation responsible for referring the potential victim. This may not be the same as the organisation that originally identified the potential victim. The NRM is a live system that changes as new victims are identified or types of exploitation are disclosed. This means that the latest data may not match published statistics.
	
		
			 2010 
			 Domestic servitude: First responders 
			  Number 
			 Local authorities 20 
			 Police 15 
			 SOCA 1 
			 Home Office* 61 
			 NGOs:  
			 Kalayaan 9 
			 Medaille Trust 1 
			 Migrant Help 3 
			 Poppy 8 
			   
			 Total 118 
		
	
	
		
			 Labour exploitation: First responders 
			  Number 
			 Local authorities 26 
			 Police 106 
			 SOCA 3 
			 Home Office* 70 
			 NGOs:  
			 Kalayaan 1 
			 Migrant Help 16 
			   
			 Total 222 
		
	
	
		
			 2011 
			 Domestic servitude: First responders 
			  Number 
			 Local authorities 12 
			 Police 13 
			 SOCA 1 
			 Home Office* 107 
			 NGOs:  
			 Barnados 1 
			 Poppy 8 
			 Migrant Help 1 
			 Salvation Army 6 
			 Kalayaan 13 
			   
			 Total 162 
		
	
	
		
			 Labour exploitation: First responders 
			  Number 
			 Local authorities 47 
			 Police 132 
			 SOCA 26 
			 Home Office* 72 
			 NGOs:  
			 Barnados 2 
			 NSPCC 4 
			 Medaille Trust 3 
			 Migrant Help 26 
			 Poppy 1 
			 Salvation Army 22 
			   
			 Total 335 
		
	
	
		
			 2012 
			 Domestic servitude: First responders 
			  Number 
			 Local authorities 18 
			 Police 14 
			 Home Office* 86 
			 NGOs:  
			 Barnados 2 
			 Kalayaan 8 
			 Medaille Trust 1 
			 Migrant Help 1 
			 Poppy 10 
			 TARA 1 
			 Unseen UK 2 
			 Salvation Army 21 
			   
			 Total 164 
		
	
	
		
			 Labour exploitation: First responders 
			  Number 
			 Local authorities 33 
			 Police 128 
			 SOCA 22 
			 Home Office* 91 
			 GLA 16 
			 NGOs:  
			 Barnados 2 
			 NSPCC 6 
			 Medaille Trust 4 
			 Migrant Help 7 
			 Poppy 1 
			 Salvation Army 62 
			   
			 Total 372 
		
	
	
		
			 2013: Until 17 December 2013 
			 Domestic servitude: First responders 
			  Number 
			 Local authorities 10 
			 Police 14 
			 Home Office* 87 
			 NGOs:  
			 Barnados 4 
			 BAWSO 3 
			 Kalayaan 21 
			 Medaille Trust 1 
			 Migrant Help 2 
			 New Pathways 1 
			 Poppy 9 
			 Salvation Army 25 
			 Unseen UK 2 
			   
			 Total 179 
		
	
	
		
			 Labour exploitation: First responders 
			  Number 
			 Local authorities 52 
			 Police 227 
			 SOCA/NCA 40 
			 Home Office* 141 
			 GLA 24 
		
	
	
		
			 NGOs:  
			 Barnados 5 
			 BAWSO 1 
			 Migrant Help 8 
			 New Pathways 1 
			 Poppy 4 
			 Salvation Army 112 
			   
			 Total 615

Human Trafficking: Children

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2013, Official Report, column 541W, on human trafficking: children, how many referrals to the National Referral Mechanism have been made by the eight PORT officers who have been trained to interview children in the last year.

Mark Harper: The Criminal Casework Prisons, Operations and Removals Team (PORT) do not hold local records on child referrals made to the National Referral Mechanism(NRM).
	Statistics on NRM child referrals are published on the National Crime Agency (NCA) website, and can be found using the following link.
	http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/search-results? searchword=NRM%20statistics&searchphrase=all

Immigration Controls

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to tighten UK Border Force procedures to prevent criminal activity in regards to gangmasters and smuggling.

Mark Harper: Border Force seizes significant amounts of drugs, cash and weapons at the border, disrupting organised criminal activity and preventing terrorism. This capability is further enhanced by the newly formed National Crime Agency's Border Policing Command, with which Border Force closely co-operates.
	The formation of a national command centre and regional command centres over the last 12 months have enhanced Border Force's command and control structure in terms of oversight of all border risks and deployment of resources to counter that risk. This targeted, intelligence led approach enables Border Force to deploy resource flexibly on the basis of analysis of risk.
	With regards to gangmasters, the draft modern slavery legislation will consolidate existing human trafficking and slavery offences to make the options available to law enforcement, when investigating and pursuing trafficking related charges, administratively simpler and operationally clearer. The legislation also sets out to increase the maximum sentence for human trafficking to life imprisonment, to ensure that modern-day slave drivers face the full force of the law. There are plans to introduce an anti-slavery commissioner to galvanize efforts in the UK to challenge modern slavery by working with government and law-enforcement agencies to realise more investigations, prosecutions and convictions of human traffickers. The legislation also proposes the introduction of ‘slavery and trafficking prevention orders' and ‘slavery and trafficking risk orders' to restrict movements or impose other prohibitions on convicted or suspected traffickers to reduce the risk they pose. This will also create a new requirement for ‘first responders' to report all suspected cases of human trafficking to the national referral mechanism (NRM). This will improve our understanding of the nature and scale of this crime and help improve our response.

Immigration Controls: Aviation

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2013, Official Report, column 545W, how many passengers arriving by general aviation who were assessed as high-risk by the UK Border Force between April and August 2013 were (a) met by Border Force personnel in accordance with the compliance obligations summarised in the National Audit Office publication, The Border Force: Securing the Border, published in August 2013 and (b) not met by Border Force personnel.

Mark Harper: holding answer 3 December 2013
	It is Home Office policy not to release operationally sensitive information at passenger level.
	At flight level, Border Force risk assess 100% of flights notified to us and seek to deploy to all high priority flights. Between April and August 2013 Border Force met 98% of high priority flights.

Kings Science Academy

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2013, Official Report, column 531W, on Kings Science Academy, when she expects to write to the hon. Member for Cardiff West with the details of the review undertaken by Action Fraud.

James Brokenshire: The review of current audit processes is expected to be completed by the end of February 2014. A copy will be placed in the House Library.

Members: Correspondence

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letters of 30 October and 17 December 2013 from the right hon. Member for Birkenhead on the implications of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 for legitimate businesses.

Norman Baker: I answered these letters today, 9th January 2014, and am sorry for the delay.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 25 November 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms E. Miller.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 6 January 2014.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 26 November 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Asif Khan Uriakhel.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 7 January 2014.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 26 November 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miss Elfreda James.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 6 January 2014.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 25 November 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Tariq Razzaq.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 7 January 2014.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 25 November 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Mohammed Shar Nooh.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 6 January 2014.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 25 November 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr A. W. Tewolide.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 7 January 2014.

Police: Hospitals

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were transferred to hospital in (a) Hyndburn constituency and (b) England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The Home Office does not hold this information centrally.

Proof of Identity

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her Department's policy to return identity documents to applicants once they have been received and verified, instead of retaining those documents for the duration of an application process.

Mark Harper: The Home Office retains identity documents for the duration of the application process so that, where a migrant is refused leave to remain in the United Kingdom and becomes liable to removal, they can be removed if they choose not to leave voluntarily. Having the means to identify a person and to confirm their nationality is a crucial tool in enforcing removal.
	Some local authorities already offer a checking service on behalf of the Home Office for citizenship and settlement applications where documents are verified, copied and returned to applicants. The Home Office has also successfully implemented a process to return documents on tier 2 intra company transfer (ICT) applications where the risk of individuals being refused and absconding is low. We will continue to consider ways in which we can build on this to improve the system for customers, including reducing the documentation we retain in this manner.

Shoplifting: Cumbria

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of shoplifting occurred in (a) Barrow and Furness constituency and (b) Cumbria in each of the last five years.

Norman Baker: The Home Office collects statistics on the number of shoplifting incidents recorded by police at police force area level. The requested information is therefore not available for the Barrow and Furness constituency specifically but the table attached gives the published data for the wider Cumbria police force area of which it is a part.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of shoplifting1 incidents recorded by the police, for Cumbria police force area, 2008-09 to 2012-13 
			 Police force area 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Cumbria 2,436 2,428 2,335 2,569 2,350 
			 1 Taken from ‘Recorded crime data at police force area level (including pivot table) from 2002-03’ published by ONS and available online: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/period-ending-march-2013---supplementary-tables/rft-recorded-crime-data-at-police-force-area-level--including-pivot-table--from-2002-03.xls Source: Police recorded crime, Home Office

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Employment Schemes: Young People

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the criteria were for the distribution of youth contract funding; and for what reasons no such funding was allocated to rural districts.

Greg Clark: The funding was part of the City Deals programme and required cities to come forward with well-designed and innovative solutions to boost youth employment.
	The City Deals programme is now being extended to all areas of England—including rural areas—through the negotiation of local growth deals with every local enterprise partnership.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Advertising Standards Authority

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make an assessment of the desirability of the present practice of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in consulting only one designated expert when assessing claims of medical efficacy in advertising and marketing material; and if she will encourage the ASA to adopt a robust peer-reviewed assessment process for such claims in line with the assessments made by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and other public bodies.

Edward Vaizey: There are no plans to make such an assessment. Advertising in the UK is controlled through a system of co-regulation and self-regulation, administered by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The advertising regulatory system is independent of Government and is ultimately responsible for setting the standards in advertising.

Athletics

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last met the Chairman of UK Athletics to discuss the forthcoming UK Athletics Championships.

Helen Grant: I am due to meet the Chairman of UK Athletics in early February to discuss the 2017 IAAF World Athletic Championship which the Government are supporting, and other matters of mutual interest including the British Athletic Championships.

Museums and Galleries

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the criteria are to receive core funding from the Department as a national museum.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), set out the criteria for the national museums sponsored by DCMS to receive funding when she wrote to inform them of the outcome of the 2013 spending round:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dcms-bodies-settlement-letters-spending-review-2013
	Within the settlements for the national museums, the Secretary of State expects their world-class collections and front-line services to be protected; that free entry to the permanent collections will continue to be available and public access will be protected; that they will continue to work in partnership with other museums in the UK; that they will continue to strengthen the financial resilience of the sector, building on the work they have already embarked on to develop philanthropy in the sector, and adding further impetus to organisations' efforts to increase their share of ‘earned income'; that they will support international cultural exchange and build relationships which help develop the culture sector in this country and assist export promotion in that sector; and that they will work with DCMS and other museums to find a more efficient solution for central London museum storage, conservation and research facilities.

Museums and Galleries

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications were made to become a Renaissance Major Partner Museum in 2011-12; and how many such applications were successful.

Edward Vaizey: Arts Council England received 30 applications to the Renaissance Major Grants Programme for the period 2012-15, one of which was found to be ineligible before assessment. 16 applications were successful and are currently Major Partner Museums. Details about the Programme and the Major Partner Museums are published on the Arts Council England website:
	http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/our-investment/funding-programmes/renaissance/renaissance-major-grants-programme/renaissance-major-partner-museums/

CABINET OFFICE

Government Departments: Empty Property

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what premises are available under the Space for Growth scheme; when each such premises became available to businesses; and how many applications have been received from businesses for work space under the Space for Growth scheme to date;
	(2)  how many workstations are currently (a) available and (b) being used by businesses at each office location available under the Space for Growth scheme.

Nick Hurd: Since the general election the Cabinet Office has helped Departments dispose of over 1,000 unused and under-used properties, saving the taxpayer £620 million last year alone. When it has not been possible to dispose of properties we have sought to ensure that the space is made available to entrepreneurs, rent and rates free. There are currently around 1,600 workstation places available in 56 different buildings around the country. Information on the exact usage of each building is not held centrally.

Ministers: Domestic Visits

David Winnick: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps are taken to ensure that ministerial visits to constituencies are conducted separately from party political activity.

Francis Maude: As was the case under previous Administrations the Ministerial Code provides guidance on ministerial visits.

New Businesses: Buildings

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 4 November 2013, Official Report, column 79W, on business, 
	(1)  how many entrepreneurs have made use of the 1,600 workstation spaces made available through the Space for Growth initiative;
	(2)  what the definition of a workstation space is; and where such workstation spaces are located.

Nick Hurd: The information on entrepreneurs is not held centrally. We know, however, that over 300 individuals have registered on the booking portal. A marketing campaign has started recently and is attracting interest from a variety of organisations. Cabinet Office officials are in active discussions with several social enterprises and charities, which are keen to use the Government's surplus space.
	The definition of a workstation space is an area of 12 sq m that allows for a desk space with facilities such as a toilet and eating area. Workstations are located in 54 different locations around England, including central London.

Public Sector: Procurement

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed EU directive on public procurement 2011/0438 (COD).

Nick Hurd: The Government worked actively with the European Commission, other member states and the European Parliament on this directive. The outcome is an improvement on existing public procurement rules.

Shops

Hilary Benn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of (a) betting shops and (b) payday loan shops that have opened in each of the last three years in England.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question regarding what estimate has been made of the number of (a) betting shops and (b) payday loan shops that have opened in each of the last three years in England.
	Data showing how many individual shops have opened are not available. The data shown below are the counts of "births" of new businesses (enterprises.)
	Data on the number of business births are published annually in the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/bus-register/business-demography/index.html
	The latest data available are for 2012. Data for 2013 will be available during November/December 2014.
	Data for betting shops alone are not available but are shown as part of Standard Industrial classification (SIC) 92000—Gambling and betting activities.
	This class includes:
	Sale of lottery tickets
	Operation (exploitation) of coin-operated gambling machines
	Operation (exploitation) of coin-operated games
	Operation of virtual gambling websites
	Bookmaking and other betting operations
	Off-track betting
	Operation of casinos, including floating casinos.
	Data for just payday loans shops are not available but are shown as part of SIC 64921—Credit granting by non-deposit-taking finance houses and other specialist consumer credit grantors.
	This class includes:
	Activities of non-deposit taking finance houses
	Activities of hire purchase and loan companies not in the UK banking sector
	Activities of check traders
	Activities of money lenders
	Pawn broking where the primary activity is in lending money
	Activities of building societies' personal finance subsidiaries.
	Other consumer credit granting where the main business is the direct financing (other than finance leasing) of instalment credit sales mainly to persons, together with farm, industrial and building plant equipment to uncorporated businesses.
	The table below shows the number of businesses that have opened in SIC 92000 (Gambling and betting activities) and SIC 64921 (Credit granting by non-deposit taking finance houses and other specialist consumer credit grantors) in England for the years 2010 to 2012. The data are taken from the Inter Departmental Business Register (IDBR) and show the number of new businesses that have registered for VAT and/or PAYE. These numbers do not include very small businesses, typically those below the threshold for VAT and PAYE. Data are rounded to protect confidentiality.
	
		
			 Count of businesses that have opened in SIC 92000 (Gambling and betting activities) and SIC 64921 (Credit granting by non-deposit taking finance houses and other specialist consumer credit grantors) in England for the years 2010-12 
			 SIC 2010 2011 2012 
			 92000 95 70 80 
			 64921 55 60 55

Universal Credit

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  if he will publish the guidance his Department gave to the Department for Work and Pensions relating to the development of the universal credit IT systems;
	(2)  what involvement his Department had in the decision to use agile methods of project management in the development of the universal credit IT system; and what assessment he has made of the suitability of such methods for that system;
	(3)  what involvement the Government Digital Service currently has in the development of the universal credit IT system.

Francis Maude: Universal credit is one of the Government's 25 ‘exemplar' public services which are being delivered through a digital by default approach. The Cabinet Office's Government Digital Service supports and advises the seven other departments delivering these ‘exemplar' services. Details are available on
	www.gov.uk/transformation
	and updated periodically.
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), asked the Government Digital Service (GDS) to work with DWP colleagues to help explore a digital strategic solution for universal credit. For further details, I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Minister for Civil Society, my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (Mr Hurd), gave to the right hon. Member for East Ham (Stephen Timms) on 16 December 2013, Official Report , column 458W.
	The National Audit Office report “Universal Credit: early progress” recognises at paragraph 3.6 that the DWP decided to use an ‘agile’ method of programme management in late 2010.
	Cabinet Office guidance on digital services is publicly available at:
	www.gov.uk/service-manual

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

India

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Indian counterpart on prisoners remaining imprisoned after completing their sentences in the Punjab and Haryana regions.

Hugo Swire: British officials discussed this issue with state authorities in Punjab and Haryana in December 2013. We are also aware of the protest hunger strike of Bhai Gurbakhash Singh and continue to monitor the general human rights situation in India. This includes maintaining a dialogue with Indian officials about minority rights issues in India, including with regards to the Sikh community. Minority rights were also discussed at the EU-India human rights dialogue on 27 November 2013.

North Korea

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the US, China and South Korea about human rights abuses in North Korea.

Hugo Swire: The Prime Minister discussed a range of issues, including the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), with President Park Geun-hye of The Republic of Korea (ROK) during her State Visit in November 2013. In the joint statement they issued following their meeting they affirmed deep concern about the human rights situation in the DPRK and expressed their support for the UN Commission of Inquiry.
	I also met the UN Commission of Inquiry in October 2013 to discuss DPRK human rights violations and demonstrate UK support for the work of the Commission. The next Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights annual report will be published in April. The DPRK will remain a country of concern.
	DPRK human rights were also the subject of a multilateral discussion during the G8 FM meeting in the UK. The G8 Ministers' statement expressed concerns over the systematic and widespread human rights violations in the DPRK, highlighted the importance of improving inter-Korean relations and emphasised the need to address humanitarian issues including abductions and family reunions. They emphasized that the DPRK must address these issues and co-operate fully with all relevant UN mechanisms.

South Africa

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations his Department has made to the government of South Africa on the crash of Cessna ZS-KOX on 9 September 2004.

Mark Simmonds: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office takes the death of any British national overseas very seriously. The crash of Cessna ZS-KOX was a tragedy. We have repeatedly raised the importance of concerns about the South African maintenance company with the South African authorities. Our high commissioner and other senior staff continue to follow this up with the South Africans, working closely with Canadian and Australian counterparts. Most recently the deputy high commissioner met the South African Civil Aviation Authority on 18 November 2013.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Rural Community Broadband Fund

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the role of the Rural Community Broadband Fund in enabling the hardest-to-reach areas to gain access to superfast broadband.

Dan Rogerson: The Rural Community Broadband Fund is targeted in the 10% hard to reach areas which would not otherwise receive superfast broadband under the Government's £530 million rural broadband programme. To date, five projects have been approved under the Fund, of which two have been contracted and a further 24 are in advanced development. The Fund could lead to projects providing superfast broadband to up to 35,000 business and residential premises in England.

Flood Protection Schemes

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many flood protection schemes have been implemented following receipt of partnership funding.

Dan Rogerson: This Government's new flood and coastal erosion risk management partnership funding approach started to make a real impact on funding allocations in 2013-14. Of the 507 schemes receiving DEFRA funding in 2013-14, about a quarter (143) have secured external contributions. Early indications suggest that up to 25% more schemes will go ahead than if costs were met by DEFRA alone. Particular examples include the Morpeth Flood Alleviation Scheme and the Parrett Estuary.

Flooding

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of properties protected from flooding during the recent tidal surge.

Dan Rogerson: We estimate that to date a combined total of over 1 million properties have been protected from flooding during the flood events in December and early January. In particular, flood defences protected around 800,000 properties from the tidal surge experienced on the east coast in early December.

EU Discards Ban

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in securing an EU discards ban. [R]

George Eustice: The UK secured an EU wide landing obligation as part of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy, which came into force on 1 January 2014. The landing obligation in pelagic fisheries comes into force in January 2015 with a landing obligation in other fisheries beginning in 2016.
	Preparatory work has begun, and we are talking to the fishing industry and other stakeholders about how we can best implement these changes in practice.

Agriculture: Bureaucracy

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the scope for cutting red tape in the farming industry.

George Eustice: I am committed to freeing farmers from red tape to help them seize economic opportunities. Over the next five years we will reduce costs to all businesses by at least £1 billion.
	We are reducing paperwork burdens and making guidance clearer and simpler. Farmers who play by the rules receive fewer inspections. For example, 740 members of the Environment Agency's Pig and Poultry scheme are inspected once every three years rather than annually.
	I expect to make an announcement shortly on further opportunities for cutting red tape as a result of the agriculture Red Tape Challenge.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's latest evaluation is of the badger cull pilots.

George Eustice: We are waiting for the Independent Expert Panel to report their findings. We will consider all the information these pilots have generated and decide on next steps in due course.
	It is clear that should additional areas be culled this year, preparatory work needs to be started now. Natural England is today publishing information and guidance on an expression of interest process as a first step in the preparations needed.

Food Poverty

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to publish the research commissioned by his Department into food aid provision and access.

George Eustice: DEFRA has commissioned research to review publically available evidence on food aid provision in the UK.
	All Government-funded research projects are required to go through review and quality assurance processes prior to publication. Once this process is complete, the conclusions of this work will be made available on the Government's website.

Trapping

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what progress his Department has made in implementing the findings of its 2010 study on the extent of the use of snares;
	(2)  whether his Department plans to consult on proposals to regulate or ban the use of snares.

George Eustice: We are currently considering the findings of the 2010 report on the extent of use and humaneness of snares in England and Wales and Ministers expect to meet stakeholders shortly. No consultation is planned.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Basic Skills

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to support the delivery of basic skills provision in response to the findings of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Skills Outlook 2013, published in November 2013.

Matthew Hancock: It is the Government's priority to ensure that all adults throughout England have the basic literacy and numeracy skills which are important for finding and sustaining employment and also help to create other positive outcomes, such as improved well-being and health.
	Our reforms to further education (FE), alongside our reforms to school-age education, will improve the quality of the teaching work force, reward the best providers and ensure learners are stretched to achieve the best they can.
	In August 2013 we introduced a £15 million bursary scheme to encourage high-calibre graduates with relevant degrees to train as specialist teachers of maths or English, or to support students with special educational needs (SEN).
	From 2013-14 we have funded FE Centres of Excellence in Teaching and Training to deliver English and maths initial teacher training and continuous professional development programmes. These up-skill existing literacy and numeracy teachers to teach to GCSE level, identify innovative and best practice in teaching English and maths to post-16 students, and assess the level of SEN teaching and knowledge across the sector.
	From 2015 the new English and maths GCSEs will have a closer focus on essential skills like spelling, grammar and problem solving. We hope that in time, these will replace other qualifications as the single, gold-standard Level 2 in all settings across the whole of FE.
	All intermediate apprentices will be required to work towards achieving a Level 2 in English and maths from 2014/15. All young people undertaking a traineeship will be required to study English and maths unless they have already achieved a Level 2.
	In the autumn statement we announced that we will be piloting a requirement that young people aged 18-21 without a Level 2 qualification in English and maths undertake training to improve these vital skills from the very outset of a claim for jobseeker's allowance.
	We will continue analysing the OECD International Survey of Adult Skills and identify where further action is necessary.

Basic Skills

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations his Department has received from colleges and other providers on (a) funding data not being reconciled by the Skills Funding Agency's systems and (b) resulting delays in payment to private providers.

Matthew Hancock: The Skills Funding Agency is moving to a new data collection system that underpins a more streamlined and less complex funding system. The system will remove the need for thousands of different funding values for each course and qualification, replace old and complex funding formulas with a single cash figure and replace the different funding systems with a single one.
	There have been some issues for colleges and other providers in calculating funding due to them where their own internal management information systems have not been able to report accurately their management position. BIS and the Agency have been working with representatives from the sector to develop the new system.
	The Agency has continued to pay all providers and colleges on time. The Agency is not aware of any late payments being made by the Agency to private training providers.

Billing

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the right of consumers to receive bills by post.

Jennifer Willott: The Government believe that consumers should have the choice of receiving their bills and statements through the post, and this option is widely available.
	Where suppliers offer a choice of billing options customers who access their bills electronically will often receive a discount for doing so, and the Government would not want to prevent businesses from sharing such efficiency savings with their customers.

Conditions of Employment: Religion

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which the rights of Christians to religious freedom are safeguarded by employers who require Sunday working.

Jennifer Willott: Legal protection for employees from direct and indirect discrimination as well as from harassment or victimisation because of religion and belief, is provided by the Equality Act 2010.
	The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) —the UK body with the statutory remit to protect, enforce and promote equality—has issued a targeted guide for employers which can be accessed on their website at:
	http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/advice-and-guidance/your-rights/religion-and-belief/
	This good practice guide aims to help employers understand how to recognise and manage expressions of religion or belief in the workplace and includes examples of requests that employees may make and how employers might deal with them.
	The EHRC has also published ‘Shared understandings a new EHRC strategy to strengthen understanding of religion or belief in public life'. Part of this work will seek to assess whether there is currently sufficient protection for people with a religious or other belief.
	Beyond this, individuals are free to contract on which ever terms suit them and their employer including agreeing working days.

National Careers Service

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made to date on the Government's commitment for 50 per cent of the National Careers Service workforce to hold a relevant qualification at Qualifications and Credit Framework level 6 by 2015; and what assessment he has made of the likelihood that the target will be met.

Matthew Hancock: The National Careers Service was launched in April 2012. At the time 9% of careers advisers in the National Careers Service work force held a relevant Level 6 or above qualification and 7% were working towards a Level 6 qualification.
	In the most recent annual survey carried out by the Skills Funding Agency in January 2013 16.5% of careers advisers held a relevant Level 6 or above qualification and 13% were working towards a Level 6 qualification. These figures indicate that by the end of March 2014 around 30% of careers advisers will hold a relevant level 6 qualification.
	We are making good progress towards our aspiration of 50% of careers advisers qualified to Level 6.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Domestic Violence

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Attorney-General what advice has been given to the Crown Prosecution Service in England and Wales when considering whether to charge an alleged perpetrator following domestic abuse complaints.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has published comprehensive legal guidance on domestic violence and an accompanying policy document. They advise prosecutors of the factors they should consider when deciding whether to charge someone who is alleged to have committed domestic abuse. In addition, the CPS has agreed a joint evidential checklist for domestic violence cases with the Association of Chief Police Officers to support closer joint working and case-building. The evidential checklist was first issued in November 2012 and was re-issued in November 2013 through a joint letter from the new Director of Public Prosecutions and the new National Policing lead.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Female Genital Mutilation

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to tackle female genital mutilation overseas.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK is playing a key role in supporting efforts to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) worldwide by investing the largest single donor commitment ever into this issue. We also aim to galvanise unprecedented political commitment and funding for this neglected issue.
	DFID has launched a programme towards ending FGM in Africa and beyond. This is a comprehensive programme, with a budget of up to £35 million over five years, which will combine targeted action with communities with support for legislative and policy change, and effective implementation of laws and policies, in 17 countries. It will support a robust international research component to build the global evidence base on the most effective strategies to end FGM. It will also support a movement within countries and globally to raise awareness and understanding of FGM and build support for efforts to end the practice, through social change communications. This programme aims to see a reduction of cutting by 30% in 10 countries over five years and has a vision to see an end to the practice in one generation.

Redundancy

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total cost of redundancy has been for staff of her Department since June 2010.

Justine Greening: The total cost of redundancies made by the DFID since June 2010 has been £7.7 million.

Redundancy Pay

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff from her Department have received a redundancy payment since June 2010.

Justine Greening: 131 DFID staff received a redundancy payment in the period from June 2010 until December 2013.

Syria

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the Kuwait II Syria Donor Conference.

Justine Greening: I have had conversations with a range of international counterparts to encourage them to be represented at senior level and make significant pledges at the Kuwait II Syria Conference.

Syria

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she last discussed the Kuwait II Syria Donor Conference with the Prime Minister.

Justine Greening: I have regular discussions with the Prime Minister on departmental issues, including the Syria crisis.

Syria

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what meetings she has had with (a) non-governmental organisations and (b) UK civil society relating to the Kuwait II Syria Donor Conference.

Justine Greening: I have met with a range of non-governmental organisations and civil society organisations to discuss the Kuwait II Syria Donor Conference.